10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BULLDOG OF JUSTICE————————___2 “A warrant,’ Webster answered quickly, “is exactly what I’m here for.” He spoke rapidly, word crowding word, while Connor shifted in frantic uneasiness from foot to foot, Matti- son’s black eyes studying him shrewd- ly, “I want a warrant for Nat Brock’s arrest, on first degree murder.” Mattison’s head wagged. “From the looks of this bird you’ve brought in,”’ he said, “he could have you up for assault and battery and get away with it.” Webster asked grimly: “Do I get that warrant, inspector?” Mattison frowned. “Webster, you know the law—except when that hot head of yours takes fire, and then youre apt to forget it. If Crawford was murdered, I want to get the killer as badly as you do—worse, because Crawford was one of my dearest friends. Pit do it, too—in time. But you haven’t got a case now, Webster, I can’t give you a warrant.” “I’m certain that Judge Crawford was poisoned by arsenic dissolved in the ale Nat Brock doctored — that Crawford’s death is saving Ray Natto from life imprisonment.” “Listen, Webster,’ Mattison wagged a weary gesture. “Have you any evidence of arsenic in Judge Crawford’s body? No, you haven’t. What’re yeu going to do — order an autopsy ? You’ve the power to demand it, Webster—but you won’t do it if I can stop you. And I’m going to stop you — until you’ve a damned sight more proof than you’ye got now.” Webster exclaimed: “What?” “Sure, you can demand it, Web- ster,” Mattison drawled on, “but I don’t think you'll get it done, as mat- ters stand now. Crawford and Dr. Autumn, the Medical Examiner, and me—we’re the oldest men in the city government. We've seen sO many district attorneys come and go, we can’t remember the names of ’em all. Jack Webster started to set the world on fire about ten years ago, and the three of us—we’ve been close friends for three times that long. If I say to old Doc Autumn, ‘I think Web- ster’s going off half-cocked about this autopsy on the judge,’ he'll agree with me, and find some way of getting around it.” mes ed “Because he doesn’t want the ghast- ly job of cutting into the brain and stomach of a man who was as close to him as a brother, and he won’t al- low any of his assistants to do it. I think that’s how it stands, Webster. You'll have to have damn’ powerful proof before you'll get an autopsy per- formed on Crawford. It would be out- . rageous cruelty to Crawford’s fam- iy.” Webster declared tightly: “In spite of all that, I’m going to see Crawford’s murderer get what’s coming to him— I’m going to prove he died of arsenic poisoning.” Mattison’s eyes were searching, “Calm down, Webster. Doc Nor- ton told me there’s no conclusive proof arsenic was in the ale. If there was, you have no proof that Brock is the man who put it in. Even if he did, you can’t prove that the ale he doctored is the ale the judge drank. That’s pretty thin circumstantial evidence— and you have no eye-witnesses to any part of it, have you?” Bitterly Webster echoed; witnesses!” “See how it stands, Webster? You can’t connect Brock with this thing, and you’re still farther from connect- ing Natto with it. Better back down and leave this to me, You might have the strongest moral conviction in the world—but that’s not legal evidence.” Webster agreed grimly: “That I know!” Mattison turned to smile crookedly at the nervous Connor. “Well?” he drawled. “If you’re going to charge Webster with felonious assault, this is the time to do it, If you’re not— clear out!” Connor’s shifty eyes turned to Webster. The bruise across his jowl grew more vivid as his gaunt face paled. His swollen lips fumbled with “ye- “Re: ai » (a a = —% ie « “ae ou ea = a ——- <= = = = = a cz —> 3S <= ~- = Sa a — < i a -« a = —< = fect, RAUL J } i ‘ td i ah 7) ’ TEE BROS, Pa Dist pees he Fy PPD Ia ehh) eA Ry Ot Gy aN Wetec BR PETNE SV he] OF PERLE OIRO A ATC LON ots ‘ Oe 4 - y ERE SALT MR, ta OE NZL CEMA POW gore 11 Og OR eS { : Aucky AL AL Dal ald AAS sa oi ROAM WN SA PY A 7 AY TSAS TE NED ats TER, RU eee Ms TOR cComichboo Si